MAUNDY THURSDAY 2009

 

 

By washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus served them as Lord and Teacher. Since this act was recorded for us to hear and contemplate, He serves us all as Lord and Teacher.

 

How does He serve us as Teacher? Certainly by His words. His teachings have been recorded so that we all might learn of our God and of how He expects us to believe and live. Tonight He especially teaches by His actions. He sits among a group of stubborn and proud men. It is a festive night, for they have gathered to celebrate the Passover, God’s delivering of His people from their bondage in Egypt. They are in their best clothes. They have bathed, and have trimmed their beards. But, one thing has been forgotten: no one has made arrangements for someone to wash the dirt from their feet as they enter the room where they will feast and celebrate. This is the job of a servant, or, if none is present, of the person with the lowest position in the group. Which of the disciples will take the lowest place? None of them will. In fact, later they will argue about which of them is the greatest!

 

Now, serving is one thing. We’re willing to serve, and we all do in many ways. But, being the lowest in the group? That’s something else altogether. Whether it’s being the last one chosen for the team, or being the last person in line, we don’t like it and don’t want it.

 

So, Jesus gets up, takes off His nice robe and puts on a towel, and He serves. He doesn’t grumble as He does so about how no one else ever wants to help, about how He’s the only one, and it’s not fair that it’s always the same people – Him! – doing it. He just serves. By doing so, He’s not only taking care of His disciples’ dirty feet. He’s covering their sins, their selfishness and unwilling-ness to take the lowest place. He takes the lowest place. He serves us all in this way. Of course, He’s not here tonight, kneeling down and washing your feet. But, He does come to you in the humble means of bread and wine to give you His body and His blood. He takes away our sins and makes us clean before our God.

 

Jesus is our example in His lowly service. You may wonder: why don’t we do a washing of the feet ceremony? We do! – but, not by choosing twelve of you and having me wash your feet. I’ve never desired to do this, simply because it strikes me that this would be rather forced and fake, and not a true reenactment of what Jesus did. Christ’s deed is reenacted in your life as you serve others humbly, doing what needs to be done without grumbling and complaining or seeking recognition. It is especially reenacted as you work to cover the sins of others, not speaking of or exposing them but washing and removing them with your kind words and actions. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.”

 

But, note above all that, before He says that He is your Teacher, Jesus says that He is your Lord. He is a Ruler, a King! The good news we need to hang onto is that He rules a kingdom into which He has brought us and in which we are secure.

 

At one time or another we’ve all had to stand before someone – our parents when we were young, or a teacher, or a boss, or maybe a police officer or judge – and face the consequences for mistakes or wrongdoing. If this was uncomfortable and a bit scary, imagine standing before God, who is holy and good and who has created you and blessed you in so many ways, to answer for your sins. He knows them all; we can’t even hide them in our minds and hearts. God can sentence us to hell!

 

Jesus knew what was in His disciples’ minds as they all sat there with dirty feet. What did He do? He took off His good robe, put on a towel, and washed away their dirt. He didn’t speak of it; He just did it. Not many hours later He would have His good robe stripped from Him and be nailed to a cross. And then He would also be stripped of His holiness, for God would lay on Him your sins and my sins and the sins of the whole world. He would stand before God as a sinner, and God would punish Him for His sins – your sins. They would be paid for, and their punishment be removed! His bodily resurrection in purity and blessedness proclaims this. He now rules over your sins, and they can never harm you if you are His! You are safe in His kingdom!

 

Now, if Jesus loves you so much to do this for you, and if God the Father loves you so much that He would send His Son into sin and its punishment for you, then you can be confident in every situation and circumstance. We have all had bad things happen to us. But, will God ever abandon you? Will He ever fail you or forget you? Never!

 

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper… and began to wash the disciples' feet.” This is how the events of that night with His disciples began. Jesus knew that His Father was with Him, and so knew that His Father would take care of all things. By His life and death for us Jesus has brought us into His Father’s kingdom, and so this is true for us, also. Let this be your confidence as you live, and as you serve. You are Christ’s! He is your Lord, and your life is secure in His kingdom! Leave with Him worries about your service. We belong to Jesus! He is our Lord who rules for us! He’ll take care of us, and of our service.